Taking Inventory of Our Environment
Author: The Team at Thrive Discovery
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.” — 2 Corinthians 10,3
In 12 step recovery programs, step 4 asks us to take a fearless moral inventory, digging deep into our past and present to uncover all the ways we've wronged ourselves and others. This is a vital step, to be sure. However, Thrive is about more "discovery" and invites us to go steps further to explore areas that 12 step programs may leave unrealized. A complete inventory is not just about a list of our liabilities (the wrong done to us and that we have done). A full inventory also lists our assets and does a thorough analysis of the environment.
Just as any wise military commander would never enter a battle without first studying the terrain, the climate, the enemy’s positioning, and the surrounding conditions, we too must understand the theater of operation in which our spiritual battle is being fought. Over the past weeks, we’ve taken inventory—identifying our God-given assets (our talents, spiritual gifting, our identity and the biblical promises of God, the Holy Spirit, etc) and uncovering the liabilities that hinder us. Now we turn our attention outward. Because no battle is fought in a vacuum.
The environments we live in—our culture, our homes, our relationships, our daily rhythms—are not neutral spaces; they are active landscapes shaping our thoughts, behaviors, and vulnerabilities. If we fail to accurately assess the ground we stand on, we risk fighting blindly. But when we clearly see the terrain, we can begin to recognize where we are being influenced, where we are exposed, and where we must intentionally fortify, adjust, and advance.
The Water We Swim In
“Apart from Me you can do nothing.” —John 15:5
Think of your life like a fish in a tank. The fish doesn’t just live near the water—it lives in it. It swims in it. Breathes it. Depends on it. In the same way: Your environment is not just around you—it is constantly flowing through you. Your thoughts, your behaviors, your emotional patterns—many of them are being shaped by the “water” you live in every day.
The Steward of the Tank
Now here’s where the analogy deepens. There are really two realities at play:
We Are Stewards of Our Environment
We are responsible for what we allow: • What enters our eyes • What fills our ears • What we normalize in our homes • What we tolerate in our relationships
God Is the Greater Steward
There is also a greater presence outside the tank:
• He sees what we cannot see
• He cleans what we cannot clean
• He restores what we cannot fix
• He provides what we cannot produce
“The Lord is my shepherd…” —Psalms 23:1
So the truth is: We manage the tank… but God sustains the life within it. And when the tank becomes toxic— when the water is dirty, and life begins to suffer— Only the Greater Steward can truly restore it. But unlike fish… we have a choice. We can ignore Him. Resist Him. Or surrender to Him.
Where the Water Gets Contaminated
If we’re going to evaluate our environment, we need to identify where the “water” is being affected.
Our Friend Circle
“Bad company corrupts good character.” — 1 Corinthians 15:33 The people closest to you are shaping:
• What you normalize
• What you tolerate
• What you pursue
Ask:
• Do my relationships pull me toward Christ or away from Him?
• Who has the most influence in my life right now?
Our Home Environment
What fills your home is forming your heart. This includes:
• TV and streaming habits
• Music and background noise
• Conversations and tone
• Books and content
Ask:
• What is the dominant atmosphere in my home?
• If someone walked in, what would they feel? Peace or chaos?
Our Technology
For many, this is the primary environment.
• Social media
• News cycles
• Endless scrolling
• Comparison traps
Ask:
• Is my phone discipling me more than God is?
• What do I consistently consume—and how is it shaping me?
Our Pastimes
What we do to relax often reveals what we are feeding.
• Entertainment choices
• Hobbies
• Escapism patterns
• Time usage
Ask:
• Do my habits restore me or numb me?
• Am I being renewed—or just distracted?
Our Inner Atmosphere
Even internal patterns are influenced by environment:
• Thought life
• Self-talk
• Emotional defaults
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” —Romans 12:2
Beginning to Change the Environment
Once we see it, we must respond.
Step 1: Start with Prayer
Before we try to fix anything, we invite God to reveal everything. “Search me, O God…” —Psalms 13:23
Prayer: Holy Spirit, show me the water I am swimming in. Reveal what I have normalized that is not from You. Expose the influences shaping my thoughts, my habits, and my desires. Give me clarity to see it, conviction to face it, and courage to change it. I invite You to cleanse what I cannot cleanse and restore what I cannot fix. Amen.
Step 2: Remove What Pollutes
“Make no provision for the flesh…” —Romans 13:14
• Cut off toxic inputs
• Set boundaries
• Reduce exposure to harmful influences
Step 3: Replace with What Gives Life
You cannot just clean the tank—you must refill it with life.
• Worship instead of noise
• Truth instead of lies
• Encouraging relationships instead of draining ones
Step 4: Restructure Your Environment
Make healthy choices easier:
• Change routines
• Create rhythms
• Build guardrails
Step 5: Surrender to the Greater Steward
This is the most important step. You cannot fully clean your tank from inside it. Invite God to:
• Clean deeply
• Remove what you cannot
• Restore what’s been damaged
Closing
“You are living in what you’ve been allowing… but you don’t have to stay there. When you surrender your environment to God, He begins to transform the water you live in—and the life within you.”